Folding bed and sofa



v 2 Sheets-Sheet' I. Gr. ZISLSPERGER. FOLDING BED AND SOFA.

Patented Oog;

(No Model.)l

(No Model.) y 2 sheets-she'et 2.

G. ZISLSPERGER.

FOLDINGBED AND SOFA. No. 507,576. A Patented Oct. 31, 1893.

r er @ya ,ZM/507g@ *y UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ZISLSPERGER, OF WINONA, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING BED AND SOFA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 507,576, dated October 31,' 1893.

Applicationled March 30, 1893.

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, GEORGE ZIsLsPERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winona, in the county of Winona and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Folding Bed and Sofa, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding-beds; the objects in view being to provide a convenient and ornamental cabinetbed, which when elevated out of operative position will form an attractive piece of furniture as Well as providea convenient sofa, and when lowered will automatically withdraw the sofa from position for use and automatically lock itself in such lowered position and against accidental re-elevation.

With these and other objects in view the inventionconsists in certain features of construction hereinafter speciied and particu' larly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the bed folded.l Fig. 2 is a similar view of the bed lowered. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the bed. Fig. f1 is a perspective View of the guide-plate. Fig. 5 is an inner elevation of the side Wall of the cabinet, the bed-frame being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the rear end of one of the sides of the bed frame.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In practicing the invention I construct a cabinet-casing which consists of the back 1, the opposite sides 2, and the crown or capsection 3, said sides having their lower portions extended beyond their upper portions forming the side-arms 4, and connected by a cross-bar 4f". At one side of the casing there is built a dresser 5, to which access may be had through the medium of a convenient door 6, that may be ornamented in any suitable manner and provided with a mirror 7. The interior of the dresser may be suitably partitioned or divided, and the door upon its exterior is provided with a bracket 8 for supporting such toilet articles as are necessary. Below the shelving and within the dresser a jewel-drawer 9 is located, and below this a larger drawer 10, that may serve for any useful purpose. Of course if desired Serial No. 468,341. (No model.)

this dresser may be omitted, as it forms no operative part ot' the folding-bed and sofa combined, but merelya convenient accessory thereto.

To the inner faces of the sides 2 adjacent to andl parallel with the back 1 of the cabinet, cleats 11 are secured, the same combining with said back to form vertical ways 12, and the upper ends of said cleats are provided with curved recesses 13. Above the cleats and in front of the same springs 14. are located. These springs have their front ends terminating in eyes 15 through which screws 16 are passed, whereby they are secured. to the side walls 2, then extended rearward ove` supporting-screws 17 to a point adjacent to the back, are given a coil 18, and rebent below the same to form the curved arms 19, which extend' to pointsmmediatelyin rear of the vertical cleats 1l where theyterminate in bent ends 20. Below the springs in front of the cleats 11 -and to the inner sides of the sides 2 cast-metal guideplates 21 are secured. These guide-plates 21 are provided upon their upper edges with horizontal tracks 22, and upon their inner 4faces below the tracks with cam-grooves 23. Suitable screw-holes are provided in the plates, and through these screws are passed into the sides 2 and arms 4, whereby said guide-plates are secured in position.

The bed-frame consists of the bottom 26, the sides 27, the head-board 28,` and the footboard 29. The rear corners of the bed-frame are provided with trunnions 30, which trunnions have anti-friction rollers loosely journaled thereon, the same being adapted to ride in the vertical ways l2 heretofore mentioned, and the upper sides or edges of the sides 27 receive, when they are elevated to a sufcient degree, the lower bent ends 2O of the springs. Bearing-pins 31 extend from the sides 27 adjacent to the rear end of the bed-frame, and upon these pins loose grooved rollers 32 are mounted, the same being designed to ride upon the upper horizontal edges or tracks 22 of the guide-plates when the bed-frame is swung up or down to fold or untold the same. v

Bell-crank levers 33 are pivoted as at 34 to the inner sides of the side-bars 27 of the bedframe, and in rear of the same and mounted loosely in keepers 35 with which the bedframe is provided at' its'opposite side-angles IOC are mounted reciprocating-rods or bolts 36, whose front ends terminate in eyes 37 and are connected by links 38 with the rear branches of the bell-crank levers 33. The rear extremities of these bolts 36 are provided with outwardly bent ends 39 which extend through slots 40 formed in the sides 27 of the bed-frame and take into the cam-grooves 23 of the guide-plates 21.

Hinged as at 41 to the front lower corner of the bed-frame is a pair of legs 42, said legs being connected by a cross-piece 43 which is located below the foot-board and is adapted to abut at its upper edge against a moldingr 44 with which the foot-board is provided, said legs being loosely connected by links 41 to the outer ends of the bell-crank levers. In thls cross-piece a T-shaped shank 45 is swiveled, and the same is connected eccentrically with a locking-disk 46. By turning the shank the locking disk may when the cross-piece 43 is in a vertical plane with the foot-board of the bed engage in a recess or keeper in the molding, or e converso, when the bed is elevated the locking-disk will be thrown into engagement with a similar keeper formed in the under side of the crown-piece or cap 3 of the cabinet. By this it will be seen that either the legs may be locked in position, that is when the bed is lowered, or the bed locked in vertical position when not in use, all by the same lock. The cam-grooves in the guide-plates are curved as shown, and, as before stated, the outer bent ends of the locking-bolts ride therein, so that, as will be obvious, by an elevation ot' the bed thelockingbolts are withdrawn inwardly and through the medium of the bell-cranks the swinginglegs are folded tlat against the under side of the bed bottom 26. Furthermore, when the bedisswung outward thelocking-bolts moving in the same grooves have a contrary effect upon the legs, that is operating them through the bell-crank levers, said legs are swung to a vertical position, whereby they are adapted to support the outer end of the bed-frame. The cross-strip and thelegs may be given any suitable shape or design and when in position against the external surface of the bedframe they serve as an ornamentation to the same.

The bed-bottom, it will be understood may be paneled or otherwise ornamented, or if desired may be provided with mirrors, and at a point between the arms 4 is provided with an upholstering 47, which constitutes a sofaback. Below the upholstering a pair of bracket-arms 48 are secured to the opposite sides of the bed and project forward therefrom, and said bracket-arms are provided at their outer extremities with bearing-perforations 49.

50 designates a rectangular seat or sofa, the same having a suitably upholstered portion 51 and of such length as to tit between the arms 4 of the cabinet and the bracket arms 48 of the bed. Pins 52 project from the ends of the frame and take into the bearing perforations 49 of the bracket-arms 48, whereby, as will be obvious, the sofa-frame is pivoted. Bearingpins 53 extend from the opposite ends of the sofa-frame in front of the bearing-pins 52 and upon the former pins are loosely journaled grooved rollers 55. These rollers ride upon opposite curved tracks 56, which are secured to the inner faces of the arms 4 of the cabinet near the bottoms thereof.

A shelf 57 may be located upon a bracket 58 secured to the back wall 1 of the cabinet, said shelf being designed to accommodate any desired articles. Below the shelf a mosquitobar 59 is secured to the back 1, but may be omitted, and to this mosquito-bar is connected the upper end of the netting GO. The lower end of the mosquito-netting may be removably connected with a series of small hooks.

The bell-crank levers are preferably covered and protected by meansfof shallow sheetmetal housings.

The construction of fastening which I describe as being located atthe foot of the bedframe for the purpose of locking said frame in a vertical position or locking the legs in operative position is duplicated preferably in each of the drawers of the dresser as well as the hinged door thereof, though other forms of locks may be employed in lieu thereof, `as desired.

The operation of the bed will bc readily understood from the foregoing description and may be briefly stated as follows-To unfold the bed from the position shown in Fig. l the` T-shank is rotated until the locking-disk disengages from the cap-piece of the cabinet. By starting the bed, that is giving it a slight pull outward at the top, the same slowly descends, the said sofa-frame riding upon its rollers and upon the curved tracks `provided therefor folds against the bottom of the bed and disappears from view thereunder. By this time the bed at its upper edge will have arrived in contact with the springs, which springs yield to the weight of the `bed and serve to lower the same gradually to the floor. When the bed has reached this position the rollers at the rear corners of the same that move in the guides -12 will rest in the curved recesses or seats 13 ot` the cleats 11; the reciprocating-boltswill have been operated by the grooves in the guide-plates so that the legs at the front end of the` bed will be swung outward to a Vertical position, and it remains simply to rotate the T-shank and lock said legs. It will be seen that the rear or bent ends of the reciprocating-bolts will lock the bed against accidental raising and i ICO IIO

- to the front so as to slots or grooves and the springs will exert a tendency to throw the bed to a vertical position. When this position hasbeen reached the T-shank is again rotated so as to lock the parts. As the bed ascends to assume the vertical position it will be obvious that the sofaframe moving upon-its track will bebrought perform the functions of a sofa.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings it willA be seen that I have provided an extremelyv simple as well as desirable and'convenient piece of furniture combining in its 'make-up a comfortable sofa, a bed, and if desired, a dresser. Y

It will be obvious that numerous changes in the details of construction of my invention will readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic and persons conversant with this class of inventions, and I therefore do not limit the same to the minor details of construction herein shown and described.

I-Iaving. described my invention, what I claim is; v

1. In a folding-bed, the combination with a cabinet, and upper and lower tracks arranged therein and at the sides thereof, of a bedframe, rollers at the sides of the frame engaging with the upper track, bearings at the front of the bed-frame, a sofa pivoted in the bearings, and rollers at the sides of the sofa engaging the lower tracks, substantially as specilied.

2. ln a folding-bed, the combination with a v cabinet casing, vertical guides therein, upper and lowerlguide-tracks in front of the verti-` cal guides, the lower guide-tracks being curved, of a bed-framehaving rollers at its rear corners 'engaging the vertical guides, opposite side rollers engaging the upper tracks, bearing-brackets extending forwardly from the bed-frame in rear of the rollers that engage the track, a sofa-frame pivoted in the brackets, and rollers arranged ontheendsof the frame and mounted for movement on the curved lower tracks, substantially as speciied. 1

3. Ina folding-bed,'the combination with the cabinet, the vertical guides,-the springs arranged above the guides and terminating in curved arms having bent ends, and a pair of opposite front horizontal guides, of a-bedframe having rollers at its rear corners e11- gaging the vertical guides and in front of the same rollers for movement upon the tracks, the sidesofthe bed-frame being arrangedV in line with the springs and adapted t0 receive the bent ends thereof when lthe rear end of the bed-frame is elevated to a certain point, substantially as specified.

4. In a folding bed, the combination with a cabinet having the curved tracks 56 at the sides near the bottom, of the swinging bed frame provided with bearings, a sofa piv- 6 5 oted in the bearings, and rollers at the sides of the sofa riding on thetracks, whereby the sofa is swung in and out on the tracks-by the movement of the bed frame, substantially as described.

5. In a folding bed the combination-with the cabinet casing having the vertical guides, and the springs 14- arranged above the same and secured at their upper ends to each side of the casing and having their lower ends bent to form the curved arms 19 which terlminate in bent ends 2O immediately ini-rear of the verticalguides, of the swinging bed frame having trunnions working in the'guides and adapted to :have the upper edges of its sides received by and engaged with the'ends 20 of the springs, substantially as described. 6. In a folding-bed, the combination with w f the cabinet casing having the vertical guides, and the guide plates 2l providedwith the tracks 22,-and the cam grooves 23, of vthe swinging bed frame having trunnions working inthe vertical guides and-provided with rollers 32 running on the tracks 22, the pair of hinged legs; a connecting piece between the legs, the reciprocating bolts 39 guided on the bed frame and having bent ends engaging the cam grooves, and connections between the bolts and the legs, whereby the movement of the bed frame ,is caused to operate thelegs, substantially as described. 7. In a folding-bed, the combination-with the cabinet having the rear vertical guides, the opposite pair of -guide-p1ates havingfupper horizontal tracks and .below the same roo cam-shaped grooves, and the lower tracks arranged .belowthe guideplates, of a rectangular bed-frame having rollers at lits rear'corners engagingthe verticalv guides, opposite -side rollers located upon the bed-frame' and 105 mounted on the horizontal guides,` a sofaframelooselyconnected' to the bed-frame, rollers onthe ends of the same engaging the lower curved tracks, a pair of horizontal legs,

bell-cranks pivoted tothe inner sides of the 1ro bed-frame, links between the outerends of the bell-cranks and the legs, a pair of reciprocating-bolts, and connections between the same and the rear ends of the bell-cranks, the rear ends ofvsaid bolts being laterally bent 11'5 and passed through slots in the bed-frame and Aengaging with the cam-grooves of the guide-plates, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in :zo the presence of Ytwo witnesses.-

GEORGE ZISLSPERGER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD LEES, JOHN DIE'rzE. 

